Operational substance intelligence

Drug Intelligence A–Z

UK drug profiles, emerging signals, harms and current intelligence

Evidence-led, not encyclopaedic

Profiles prioritise what is changing and what professionals need to watch. Evidence types are kept separate; a submitted sample or isolated detection is never treated as representative of the UK drug supply.

Highest Current ConcernStrongest current emerging or escalating signals

NINitazenesEmerging threat›OROrphinesEmerging threat›COCocaineIncreasing harm›CRCrack cocaineIncreasing harm›KEKetamineIncreasing harm›PRPregabalinIncreasing harm›

Recently UpdatedNew evidence or revised assessment

AMAmphetamineEstablished substance›BEBenzodiazepinesEstablished substance›BRBromazolamUnder surveillance›COCocaineIncreasing harm›

Under SurveillanceDeveloping signals below formal-alert threshold

BRBromazolamUnder surveillance›FEFentanylUnder surveillance›MEMephedroneUnder surveillance›MEMethamphetamineUnder surveillance›

⌕31 profiles

Category

Intelligence

SubstanceCategoryUK legal classificationCurrent UK intelligenceStatus / last reviewed

ALAlcoholbooze · drinkDepressantsNot MDA-classifiedNot controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; alcohol sale and supply are regulated separately.A widely used central nervous system depressant with substantial treatment, health and social harms.Alcohol remains a major component of treatment demand. Current platform evidence is strongest for English treatment contact rather than a single UK-wide trend measure.Established substance04 Sep 2026›AMAmphetaminespeed · whizz · baseStimulantsClass BClass A when prepared for injection.A stimulant usually encountered as powder or paste in the UK illicit market.WAND estimated lower consumption across comparable sampled sites between 2021 and 2025, but this experimental signal does not establish a fall in every locality or population.Established substance04 Sep 2026›BEBenzodiazepinesbenzos · street benzos · downersDepressantsMedicinesCompound-specificMost named benzodiazepines are Class C; the exact control and medicines schedule depend on the compound.A medicine group whose illicit and counterfeit market includes rapidly changing compounds.Benzodiazepines were implicated in 433 Scottish drug use deaths in 2025, including 300 involving street benzodiazepines; both broad groups fell over the latest year. They remain prominent in polydrug deaths, while Scottish RADAR intelligence describes changes in the novel-benzodiazepine market. A tablet's appearance does not establish its contents.Established substance25 Sep 2026›BRBromazolambromos · street XanaxDepressantsSynthetic drugsClass CA Schedule 1 controlled drug with no recognised medicinal use in the UK.A novel benzodiazepine-type depressant not licensed as a medicine in the UK.Scottish bromazolam-implicated deaths fell from a 2023 peak of 426 to 103 in 2025. RADAR indicates changing compounds in the street-benzodiazepine market; a decline in this one compound does not remove mixed-sedative risk.Under surveillance25 Sep 2026›BUBuprenorphinebupe · Subutex · SuboxoneOpioidsMedicinesClass CSchedule 3 medicine under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.A partial opioid agonist used in treatment and pain care, with diversion and combination risks.Current national sources support continued monitoring within the wider opioid and treatment picture; they do not indicate a distinct emerging UK market shift.Established substance04 Sep 2026›CACannabisweed · skunk · hash · resinCannabinoidsClass BCannabis, cannabis resin and cannabis oil are controlled; authorised cannabis-based medicines have separate schedules.The most commonly reported illicit drug in the Crime Survey for England and Wales.CSEW continues to show cannabis as the most prevalent illicit drug. Household-survey prevalence should not be used as a proxy for potency, dependence or severe harm.Established substance04 Sep 2026›COCocainepowder cocaine · coke · charlieStimulantsClass ACocaine is a Class A controlled drug.A short-acting stimulant with rising mortality involvement and persistent UK market demand.Cocaine was implicated in 589 Scottish drug use deaths in 2025 (52%, up 23%), the highest in the NRS series since 2008; England and Wales also reached a new high in 2024. NRS mortality does not separate powder from crack. WAND adds an experimental consumption trend, while CSEW and treatment data describe different populations.Increasing harm25 Sep 2026›CRCrack cocainecrack · rock · stonesStimulantsClass ACrack is a form of cocaine and is controlled as Class A.A smokeable form of cocaine associated with high-intensity use and distinct treatment and social harms.National mortality data, including the 589 Scottish deaths in 2025, record cocaine rather than a separate crack-specific total. English treatment data therefore provide essential context for opiate-and-crack and crack-only need.Increasing harm25 Sep 2026›COCodeinecody · co-codamol · lean ingredientOpioidsMedicinesClass BPrescription and low-strength preparations may fall within different regulatory schedules or exemptions.An opioid medicine found in prescribed and over-the-counter combination products.Codeine contributes to the wider opioid mortality and dependence picture. Public sources do not currently establish a new UK-wide illicit-market shift.Established substance04 Sep 2026›DIDiazepamValium · vallies · bluesDepressantsMedicinesClass CSchedule 4 Part 1 medicine under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.A long-acting benzodiazepine medicine also encountered through diversion and counterfeit markets.The current concern is strongly linked to combinations and uncertain tablet contents. Named-sale identity should be kept separate from analytical confirmation.Established substance04 Sep 2026›FEFentanylfent · fentanyl analoguesOpioidsSynthetic drugsMedicinesClass ASchedule 2 medicine under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.A highly potent synthetic opioid used medically and monitored in illicit drug markets.Fentanyl remains a preparedness concern, but current UK synthetic-opioid intelligence is more strongly centred on nitazenes. Detection should not be assumed without analytical confirmation.Under surveillance04 Sep 2026›GHGHBG · liquid ecstasyDepressantsClass BReclassified from Class C to Class B in April 2022.A short-acting depressant with a narrow margin between desired and severe effects.GBL is widely encountered in UK chemsex and sexualised drug-use settings and is rapidly converted to GHB in the body. GHB is also reported, and many UK datasets group GHB and GBL together, so the precise substance used or sold is not always distinguishable.Established substance04 Sep 2026›GBGBLG · gamma-butyrolactoneDepressantsSynthetic drugsClass BControlled for human ingestion; legitimate industrial-use provisions apply.An industrial chemical rapidly converted to GHB in the body and used for similar effects.GBL is widely encountered in UK chemsex and sexualised drug-use settings and is rapidly converted to GHB in the body. GHB is also reported, and many UK datasets group GHB and GBL together, so the precise substance used or sold is not always distinguishable. A Home Office consultation published on 19 August 2026 proposes tighter controls; current law remains unchanged pending the outcome and any subsequent legislation.Established substance04 Sep 2026›HEHeroinsmack · brown · gear · diamorphineOpioidsClass ADiamorphine is controlled as a Class A drug.The established illicit opioid market within which potent synthetic opioid adulteration is now a leading concern.Heroin/morphine was implicated in 468 Scottish drug use deaths in 2025, the first annual increase since 2019. Heroin remains central to opioid deaths and treatment need. WAND suggested lower sampled consumption over time, but nitazene adulteration and incomplete rapid-harm data prevent a simple falling-risk conclusion.Established substance25 Sep 2026›KEKetamineket · K · special KDissociativesClass BSchedule 2 medicine under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.A dissociative anaesthetic associated with rising use, treatment demand and severe urinary harm.NRS recorded 33 Scottish drug use deaths implicating ketamine in 2025, an increase over the latest year; implication is not sole causation. ACMD, treatment, prevalence and WAND sources align on increasing concern, particularly among younger people. Border Force seized 1,298 kg in January–March 2026, the highest quarterly total recorded in 15 years and 42% above the final quarter of 2025; this is an operational enforcement indicator, not an annual supply estimate.Increasing harm25 Sep 2026›LSLSDacid · tabs · blotterPsychedelicsClass ALSD is a Class A controlled drug.A potent psychedelic usually sold on blotter paper or as liquid drops.CSEW includes LSD within hallucinogen estimates, but current public data do not establish a distinct UK-wide escalation signal for LSD alone.Established substance04 Sep 2026›MDMDMAecstasy · E · Mandy · mollyStimulantsSynthetic drugsClass AMDMA, including products sold as ecstasy, is a Class A controlled drug.A stimulant and empathogen sold as tablets, powder or crystals, with variable strength and contents.WAND estimated higher consumption at comparable sampled sites between 2021 and 2025, while survey prevalence and analytical submissions measure different parts of the market.Established substance04 Sep 2026›MEMephedrone4-MMC · meow meow · m-catStimulantsSynthetic drugsClass BMephedrone is covered by the Class B control of cathinone derivatives.A synthetic cathinone stimulant whose sold identity can be confused with newer cathinones.UK submitted-sample intelligence remains important because products sold as mephedrone may contain another cathinone. Individual detections cannot describe the wider market.Under surveillance04 Sep 2026›MEMethadonemeth · green · mixtureOpioidsMedicinesClass ASchedule 2 medicine under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.A long-acting opioid medicine central to treatment and also present in drug-related deaths.Methadone was implicated in 338 Scottish drug use deaths in 2025, down over the latest year and from its 2020 peak. It remains prominent in opioid mortality data, but death-certificate mentions do not distinguish prescribed treatment from all other circumstances of exposure.Established substance25 Sep 2026›MEMethamphetaminecrystal meth · ice · TinaStimulantsSynthetic drugsClass AMethamphetamine was reclassified as Class A in 2007.A powerful long-acting stimulant with a smaller but monitored UK market.WAND estimated increasing consumption across comparable sampled sites from a comparatively small baseline. Wide uncertainty and uneven geographic patterns require corroboration.Under surveillance04 Sep 2026›NINitazenes2-benzyl benzimidazole opioids · synthetic opioidsOpioidsSynthetic drugsClass ANamed nitazenes and substances within the current generic nitazene definition are controlled as Class A.A group of highly potent synthetic opioids detected in heroin and counterfeit medicines.Nitazenes remain the leading UK synthetic-opioid preparedness threat. NRS recorded 247 Scottish drug use deaths involving nitazenes in 2025 versus 76 in 2024, including 215 involving etonitazene; expanded routine testing (etonitazene from May 2025) may explain part of the apparent increase. ONS mortality and Scottish RADAR also provide confirmed harm signals, while the geographic picture remains incomplete.Emerging threat25 Sep 2026›OROrphinesorphine analogues · brorphine-like opioidsOpioidsSynthetic drugsTemporary class drugSeven named orphines have been temporarily controlled since 11 June 2026. Supply, production, import, export and possession with intent to supply are offences; permanent Class A control has been accepted in principle but is not yet in force.A distinct emerging group of high-potency synthetic opioids detected in the UK drug supply.WEDINOS reported orphine analogues in samples submitted as heroin, including alongside veterinary sedatives. UK authorities have also confirmed orphine-involved deaths and placed seven named compounds under temporary control.Emerging threat04 Sep 2026›NINitrous oxidelaughing gas · NOS · balloonsDissociativesClass CControlled since November 2023; possession for legitimate purposes is exempt.An inhaled gas whose repeated heavy use can cause serious neurological injury.CSEW recorded a decrease in past-year use among people aged 16–24 in England and Wales, but prevalence does not capture dose, frequency or neurological harm.Established substance04 Sep 2026›OXOxycodoneoxy · OxyContinOpioidsMedicinesClass ASchedule 2 medicine under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.A strong opioid medicine with dependence, diversion and counterfeit-product risks.Oxycodone appears within the wider opioid mortality and prescribing context. Current public sources do not establish a distinct new UK illicit-market trend.Established substance04 Sep 2026›PRPregabalinpregabs · Lyrica · budsDepressantsMedicinesClass CSchedule 3 medicine under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.A gabapentinoid medicine increasingly prominent in polydrug mortality and dependence work.Gabapentin and/or pregabalin were implicated in 330 Scottish drug use deaths in 2025, down over the latest year. Pregabalin remains prominent in mortality data across several UK nations, particularly in combinations; this combined Scottish category cannot isolate pregabalin. Death mentions overlap and do not show whether the medicine was prescribed.Increasing harm25 Sep 2026›PSPsilocybinmagic mushrooms · shroomsPsychedelicsClass APsilocin and fungi containing psilocin or an ester of psilocin are controlled as Class A.A psychedelic found in certain mushrooms and in some prepared products.CSEW measures magic-mushroom use within the household population, but current evidence does not support a distinct UK-wide alert status.Established substance04 Sep 2026›SYSynthetic cannabinoidsSpice · Mamba · SCRAsCannabinoidsSynthetic drugsClass BControlled synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists fall within named or generic Class B controls.Laboratory-made cannabinoid receptor agonists with highly variable compounds and potency.Persistent severe harms remain concentrated in settings including prisons and homelessness services. Submitted samples and incidents cannot estimate national prevalence.Established substance04 Sep 2026›TRTramadoltrammies · tramsOpioidsMedicinesClass CSchedule 3 medicine under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.An opioid medicine with additional serotonergic effects and seizure risk.Tramadol remains part of the medicine-related opioid harm picture; current public sources do not establish a new UK-wide market escalation.Established substance04 Sep 2026›TUTusipink cocaine · tuci · tucibiSynthetic drugsStimulantsDissociativesContents-dependentTusi is not one substance; legal classification depends on the controlled drugs found in the mixture.Tusi, also known as pink cocaine or tuci or tucibi, is a variable polydrug mixture rather than a single drug or fixed recipe.Products analysed in the UK and Europe commonly contain ketamine combined with stimulant drugs, particularly MDMA and/or caffeine, although composition varies considerably. Despite the names ‘pink cocaine’ and ‘tucibi’, products may contain neither cocaine nor 2C-B.Limited UK evidence04 Sep 2026›XYXylazinetranq · veterinary sedativeDepressantsSynthetic drugsClass CControlled from January 2025 and placed in Schedule 4 Part 1 to preserve legitimate veterinary use.A non-opioid veterinary sedative detected within parts of the UK illicit drug supply.NRS recorded four Scottish drug use deaths implicating xylazine in 2025; routine testing began in 2024, limiting comparison. ACMD identified multifaceted evidence of UK detection, but coverage is incomplete and does not support a national prevalence estimate. Naloxone only treats any opioid component.Under surveillance25 Sep 2026›MEMedetomidineDepressantsSynthetic drugsNot MDA-classifiedThe Government accepted a Class C recommendation in January 2026, but said it would legislate when parliamentary time allows.A potent non-opioid veterinary sedative detected in a small number of UK drug samples.ACMD reported limited UK detections in 2025 and recommended precautionary control. North American evidence signals potential acute harm and severe withdrawal, but should not be presented as UK prevalence.Limited UK evidence04 Sep 2026›